20 years ago this month:

• The Arizona Supreme Court removed a judge from office for falling asleep during court proceedings; making inappropriate comments and circulating inappropriate materials, some of which were racist, sexist, or obscene; ex parte communications; failing to recuse and otherwise creating an appearance of bias; inappropriate uses of his judicial position; failing to respect the rights of parties appearing before him; failing to adequately perform his judicial responsibilities; and misrepresenting facts to the Commission on Judicial Conduct.  In the Matter of Carpenter, 17 P.3d 91 (Arizona 2001).
• The Arkansas Judicial Discipline & Disability Commission publicly admonished a judge following his conviction for driving while intoxicated.  Letter of Admonition to Jennings (Arkansas Judicial Discipline & Disability Commission January 23, 2001).
• The Arkansas Judicial Discipline & Disability Commission publicly admonished a judge for delay in ruling on a petition for post-trial review filed by an inmate and for failing to properly supervise staff.  Letter of Admonition to Davis (Arkansas Judicial Discipline & Disability Commission January 26, 2001).
• Accepting the recommendation of the Judicial Tenure Commission, the Michigan Supreme Court publicly censured a judge for engaging in self-dealing contrary to the interests of his clients when he was an attorney and failing to file a timely answer to the formal complaint.  In re Runco, 620 N.W.2d 844 (Michigan 2001).
• Based on an agreement, the Minnesota Board on Judicial Standards publicly reprimanded a judge for failing to maintain an impartial demeanor in a case, making undignified and discourteous public references to lawyers serving as public defenders and in other capacities in the case, and publicly commenting on the pending matter.  Public Reprimand of Wolf (Minnesota Board on Judicial Standards January 10, 2001).
• The New Jersey Supreme Court removed a municipal court judge for (1) signing a letter “JMC” (meaning “judge municipal court”) in a personal dispute regarding payment of his sons’ tuition at a private school; (2) failing to recuse from a case arising from questionable domestic violence complaints filed by a councilman with whom the judge had a close relationship; and (3) filing false accusations against his son’s teacher and then arraigning the teacher.  In the Matter of Samay, 764 A.2d 398 (New Jersey 2001).